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The color green — bringing Power to the Independents

Green. There’s a lot of stuff we associate with green: grass, spearmint gum, martians, Starbucks, lettuce, sustainability… It’s a list that I could easily keep adding to. But if you’re a staunch indie cinema fan or unwavering industry devotee, green will resonate with you in a different way — it will sing Veezi.

If you Google green, you’ll find there’s a lot of information about the color and what it represents. But what do these associations mean in the Veezi world?

Fresh

I know you’re imagining a crisp, hand-picked green salad that you just purchased from your local salad bar (you’re even starting to think that might be a good lunch option for tomorrow, I can tell!). But you won’t find the girls and guys behind Veezi day-dreaming about a good salad. They’re more focused on making sure they’re looking after the little guys, the independent cinema chains that are so crucial to the industry.

There are close to 9,651 independent cinema screens in North America alone. And when you stop to do the math, you realize that indies account for only 22% of the cinema market (assuming there are approximately 43,281 cinema screens in the entire North American cinema circuit). You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to realize that to ensure the indie cinema experience is cultivated and developed means indie cinemas (and the amazing folks behind them) need to be looked after. After all, these cinemas hold a strong connection to our local communities and support the creation and screening of films that are produced outside of major film studios.

Veezi breathes freshness. It was clear indie cinemas needed a cinema management solution that suited the specific requirements of their business. Already competing against the ever-growing cinema chains (who have very different operational requirements), using software solutions built for these larger businesses didn’t make day-to-day life any easier for the indies. And so the Veezi team took it upon themselves to offer the independents a fresh approach to their business operations; an affordable, cloud-based SaaS cinema management solution.

Youthful

Veezi is the cheeky younger brother (or sister) to Vista. If you grew up with a younger sibling, you’ll recognize what I’m talking about — the one who can get away with saying and doing what you couldn’t! And Veezi does too. Its brand boasts a sweet hipster-vibe that leaves Vista feeling green with envy! But like all siblings, they’re different, but still very similar.

Veezi was born from a Vista-team lightbulb moment. And like Vista, Veezi is one of the family members of Vista Group. Designed and engineered by Vista, Veezi’s software offering is similar to its older sibling’s. However, it’s on trend with minimalism and cloud technology, eliminating the need for investment in expensive servers and infrastructures and enabling access from anywhere, 24/7.

Prosperous

What is prosperity? Typically, we equate prosperity with financial profitability, but in the indie world, success and prosperity aren’t necessarily defined this way. As many indie cinemas are community-focused or not-for-profit, we could almost say that financial success is a sign of failure! Perhaps instead, prosperity in this industry is a community of satisfied moviegoers.

For Veezi, just as much as for a cinema, prosperity is happy customers. Even though a cinema and a software company are very different, neither can exist without this one ingredient. And for customers to be happy, they have to smell the passion — it’s one of the traits of a successful organization, along with empathy and understanding of staff and suppliers. The people who run indie cinemas do so fueled by their love and passion for everything about the industry. It’s what makes the cinemas so special and our moviegoing experience so great.

Growth

It’s been nothing but green lights and greener pastures for Veezi. Its customer base has increased and expanded into 17 countries (at the end of 2015) as more independents have joined the Veezi revolution. And there has also been a 1022% increase in the number of monthly online transactions since 2014. This identifies that the independent cinema industry has recognized the need for affordable and sophisticated software that enables them to compete against large cinema giants. At the same time, it highlights the importance for indie cinemas to adopt new technology so that they can continue to increase patronage and meet the strong preference moviegoers have for easily accessible and intuitive ticket purchasing options.

The future is definitely green for the indie cinema community. With support from the extended Vista Group family, Veezi is in a strong position to keep developing a highly sustainable product that meets the needs of the dynamic global indie community. Couple this with the indie community’s spirit and avid supporters, and you’ve got a winning combo for the continued development of this much-loved niche industry.

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About the Author: Matthew Preen
General Manager, Veezi HQ

Matthew has been with Vista since 2009 and has had a number of roles within the business. He has been heading up Veezi since 2011 and is passionate about the independent cinema industry. Whilst being an IT industry veteran, he also brings business knowledge and expertise. Outside work, sport (he's a fan of England's rugby team and Aston Villa) and his large family are where he spends most of his time. You can connect with Matthew on LinkedIn.